News

Joseph Jones, 31, a master corrections officer at the Marion County jail, is accused of bringing a sub sandwich with marijuana inside to the jail for an inmate who, Jones says, promised to give him a bottle of Patron tequila and a free roast beef sandwich, reports theOcala Star-Banner.

It gets even better: If the officer could get a cell phone into the lockup, the inmate offered to introduce him to a stripper, Jones told the investigators.

The inmate, Travis Cottrell, 28, explained the scheme to officials. Two women would go to a sandwich shop not far from the jail and order two sandwiches. They would then remove the meat and other contents from one sub and place the marijuana inside the bread and hand it off to Jones, according to the Star Banner.

But drug agents got wind of the plan and kept an eye on the sandwich shop. When Jones showed up they alerted deputies at the jail, who escorted him inside, according to the Star Banner.

Deputies found 8 grams of marijuana inside a sandwich he was trying to bring to inmate Travis Cottrell.

Jones was charged with principal to introducing contraband into a detention facility, introduction of contraband into a detention facility, and possession of less than 20 grams of marijuana, according to the Star-Banner.

In the end the officer and two jail inmates along with their girlfriends were arrested.

EAST WALLINGFORD, Vt.—A woman charged with felony drug charges for growing marijuana for her sick son won't go to trial.

Prosecutors have agreed to refer Sue Thayer, of East Wallingford, to court diversion. If she completes it, the charges against her will be dismissed.

In 2007, the 65-year-old Thayer was charged with possessing more than 25 pot plants. She said she grew the plants out of necessity because the marijuana improved the appetite and general condition of her son, who suffered from chronic wasting.

Last August, the Vermont Supreme Court ruled against her use of the so-called "necessity" defense.

Vermont Public Radio reports that Deputy Rutland County State's Attorney Peter Neary referred Thayer's case to court diversion last month, calling it a welcome compromise.

Marijuana plants worth more than $1 million were seized on Friday in a massive grow-op bust in Winnipeg. Winnipeg police executed a search warrant at a home at about 6:30 p.m., where they discovered a sophisticated marijuana grow operation. Close to 1,100 marijuana plants were seized, which have an estimated value of $1.2 million. Also seized was roughly 40 grams of dry cannabis marijuana, worth about $400 and assorted growing equipment worth $25,000. "When we get that amount of drugs off the streets of Winnipeg, it's certainly something I think that these investigators should be proud of," Winnipeg police Const. Natalie Aitken said.

This is the fourth major grow-up bust in southern Manitoba since the new year began. "The ones that we've had recently have been quite elaborate," Aitken said. "They have ... perfected the manner in which they are doing business and as a result are definitely producing a high level of product." Dihn Luan Nguyen, 51, has been charged with the production of a controlled substance, possessing a substance for the purpose of trafficking and theft of services over $5,000. Nguyen was wanted on an outstanding warrant from a similar incident in March 2005. "All attempts to locate him were unsuccessful until this time," Aitken said. Nguyen has been detained in custody.

A woman has been arrested by local police officers and has been charged with possession of a controlled drug and intent to supply. The police officers arrested the 48 year old woman after they discovered more than a quarter of a million dollars worth of cannabis plants in her home in Sydney’s south west.

Police say they found the quarter of a million dollars worth of marijuana when they executed the search warrant at the 48 year old woman’s home in punchbowl yesterday afternoon. The 48 year old woman was charged with the enhanced cultivation of commercial quantity of drugs, conducting drug premises and altering the installation of electricity. She is currently awaiting her day in court where she will face her charges and finally be sentenced for the crimes she has committed.

An anonymous tip that was given to police has lead to possibly one of the biggest marijuana discoveries in Clarksville history. Police are still unsure of where or whom the tip came from but I believe that they are very thankful that it was made. The anonymous tip led the police to a home located at the 600 block of Fairfield Drive on Friday afternoon. When the police arrived at the scene they could smell the distinct odor of cannabis coming from inside the home.

They began to search the home after a search warrant was obtained. Upon executing the search warrant police discovered roughly 250 pounds of pure cannabis. Police also found 5 pounds of Hashish, loaded firearms and of course drug paraphernalia, all of which were seized as evidence. The lead investigator of this report is Agent Steve Hamilton. Agent Steve Hamilton and local police authorities are urging the public to come forward with any knowledge so that they can finally make an arrest.

A cafeteria worker at a Jefferson County high school has been arrested and charged with distributing marijuana and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

According to KDVR, Michelle Whitmire, the cafeteria manager at Jefferson High School, was arrested on Thursday, several days after investigators visiting her home in Golden smelled pot and found several teenagers.

The arrest comes a week after Colorado Attorney General John Suthers argued that the arrest of an illegal pot operation that was using medical marijuana as a cover was an example of "a nexus between Colorado's booming medical marijuana industry and illegal distribution of the drug."